William h



(No Model.)

W. H. KABLE.

. THILL TUG.

No. 536,084.- Patented Mar. 19, 1895.

A TTORNE rs.

-' straps are attached, and a hinged member .UNITED STATE PATENT FOFFICEQ WILLIAM H..KABLE, OF STAUNTON, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILLI AM' GIBBS KABLE, OF SAME PLACE.

I THlLL-TUG,

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 536,084, dated March 19, 1895.

Application filed July 24, 1894.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. KABLE, re-' siding at Staunton, in the county of Augusta and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Tugs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to thill' tugs of that class in which the tug proper has a hinged member arranged to be swung up around the shaft and be detachably connected with the other section, to which the harness is attached.

3 My invention primarily has for its object, to provide a'simple, cheap, and automatically locking thill tug, which will snugly embrace the thill, and which can be easilyand quickly operated to liberate such thill from the tug.

It also has as an essential feature, for its object, to provide a thill tug and tug holding devices so arranged that the usual draft braces are dispensedwith and the pulling or backing operation effected entirely by tug pressure.

A further object is to provide a tug and tug releasing devices, arranged to be operated from the vehicle whereby the animal can be almost instantly released from the vehicle in case of a runaway.

With other minor objects in view, which hereinafter will appear, the invention consists in such novel features of construction and peculiar combination of parts such as will be first described in detail and then be particularly pointed out in the appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view showing myimproved tug devices as in use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my improved thill tug. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same, the hinged member,

being shown down in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a front view of my improved thill tug in position on the thill, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the thill guard or tug bearing member hereinafter referred to.

In its practical construction my improved thill tug comprises essentially what I term a base plate or member, to which the harness which is adapted to be snugly fitted about the thill, and automatically locked in engagement with the main plate, and a draft plate 7 Serial No. 518,446. (No model.)

or member secured to the thill against which the tugjis adapted to exert its pull or push force. v

Referring now to the drawings by letters,

Aindicates the main plate formed at the top' with a loop a, to which the back band or strap B, is attached and has at its edges near the lower end, loops aa, to which the hame strap 7 O and the breeching strap D are respectively attached as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The loop members a a a may be connected with the plate A by rivets or cast in one piece, but are preferably formed integral with the said body and stamped out therefrom as shown. At the.

lower end the plate terminates in hinge eye portions E, with which interlock similar por- 'main plate A by riveting or otherwise. This casing it will be observed has a pocket or reces'sed portion g, in which the, tongue f, of the member F, is adapted to fit the side walls sired shape, which casing is secured to the tionsfon the hinged thill supporting member of such pocket forming side bearings for the 7 said tongue, whereby to relieve the latch portion proper of the pulling strain, and in such pocket is held to slide a plunger or lock member H, having a guide lip h and side extensions h which are held in slotted ways it which form the side walls of the pocket 9.

The plunger H has a vertical extension H which projects up above the casing, and such plunger is normally pressed downward by the spring h J indicates a cord which connects with the extension, passes through the turret ring, extends rearward and connects with an operating cord J which passes back into the vehicle.

K indicates a keeper or draft member, the construction of which is clearly shown in Fig. 4, and its operation is best understood by reference to Fig. 5. The member K com prises a base portion is which is screwed to the under side of the thill, vertical pendent portions 70' and angle brace portions k which are also fastened to the thill as shown.

It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 5 the hinged member Fof the tug passes between the arms k', which serves to hold the tug always to its proper position. As the tug is thus held between the arms 70', it is obvious that when the animal starts forward the member F will bear against the front arm is, and as the animal backs such tug will bear against the rear arm 70, thereby efiecting a push or pull action on the thills direct from the tug, dispensing entirely with the necessity of trace or other draft means.

By forming the tug with. a straight wall or fixed portion and hinging the member F thereto as shown such member F when released will swing entirely free from the shaft and thereby allow such shafts to positively free themselves from the keepers or tugs. Furthermore by providing a draft connection (as shown at K) secured only on the under side of the shafts and leaving the edges and the top practically free, the tug devices will be held for a limited free movement on the shafts and thereby avoid the danger of breaking any of the parts, as the animal moves or twists about, which would be likely to occur, where the tug devices fitted between connecting devices extending entirelyIaround the shafts or connections will project over the top thereof and hold it rigid, as it were, within the tug loop.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, ist An improved thill tug comprising a main straight plate, having loops to receive the breast collar, the girth and the breeching straps, and having a housing at its upper end, provided with a central pocket or recess, aspring operated latch operating within such housing and having its tang or look member projected into such pocket or recess, and a tug supporting loop hinged to the lower end of the main plate and having a tongue, adapted to enter the aforesaid pocket and be automatically locked in engagement with the latch member all substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

WILLIAM H. KABLE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. MILLER, R. S. TURK. 

